Learning to obey the command to rejoice

Paul’s command to “rejoice always” in Philippians 4:4 seems a little unreasonable. We naturally think that joy is something that happens to us, not something that we control. And even if we acknowledge that rejoicing is something that we can do and a command that we can obey, we naturally assume that certain circumstances are […]

The church and homosexuality

When I began preaching the book of Romans several months ago, I knew that soon I would have to think through and preach on Romans 1:24-27, the most significant passage in Scripture about homosexuality and God’s judgment. As I always do, I wanted to “get it right” — that is, I wanted to be sure […]

Another thought about redemption

Still a few more leftovers from Sunday’s sermon on redemption: while it is always good to speak of the truth of God’s work for us on the cross, how might we stimulate our hearts to gratitude and joy in that work, and transformation by that work? Here are three suggestions for what you might do […]

Christ’s work of redemption

In his book, Scandalous, D. A. Carson has a helpful discussion of the concept of redemption and its use in the ancient world — In our world a word like redemption belongs to God-talk. In other words you normally do not talk fluently about redemption in everyday life. Redemption is something religious people talk about. […]

Sermon: Redemption

“The Message of the Cross: Redemption” Ephesians 1:7-8 October 25, 2015 Sometimes communion feels like an afterthought to a worship service: “it’s our monthly duty and we just squeeze it into an already full morning of worship.” But because the work of Christ is central to our salvation, communion should never feel like an after […]

Our sins sink as lead in the mighty waters of the Redeemer’s blood

Thomas Boston, Human Nature in Its Fourfold State: God the Father takes the pen, dips it in the blood of his Son, crosses off the sinner’s accounts, and blots them out of his debt-book. The sinner outside of Christ is bound over to the wrath of God; he is under an obligation in law to […]

Sin in the believer

John Murray: “There must be a constant and increasing appreciation that though sin still remains it does not have the mastery. There is a total difference between surviving sin and reigning sin, the regenerate in conflict with sin and the unregenerate complacent to sin. It is one thing for sin to live in us: it […]

He redeemed us

“who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.” (Titus 2:14; NASB) A few years ago, my wife and I discovered a television show on The Learning Channel which quickly became a favorite — “Junkyard Wars.” […]

I heard the earth talk

“For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body.” (Rom. 8:22-23; NASB) I heard […]